Flynning
by The StrayXIII
Summary: A new life, new feelings, and a new future to look forward to with his new dream. Unfortunately for Eugene, Flynn Rider hasn't put aside the life of crime. There's just one catch. This Flynn Rider isn't him, and he isn't liking that fact one tiny bit.
1. Yes, Eugene, You Died

This was a surprise and I can't believe I'm writing it...

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><p>I realize this has been done probably a dozen times before or more. Who knows—the world is large and expansive. And I've got a story to tell, so you're just going to have to sit there and listen.<p>

The kingdom of Corona, on a small island but grand and beautiful. The nicest kingdom to visit. For eighteen years they've been having a lot of issues concerning a lost princess. But as of six months ago, the princess, well, was not so lost anymore. Word spread quickly about how Corona's lost princess was found. Stories varied about where she was and who whisked her away, but one thing remained true, and it was the bit of irony that I just absolutely _relished_. She was found and returned, safe and sound, by the one name _everyone_ in the underground world knows. Daring rogue, heartbreaker, and wanted thief Flynn Rider. Except I know him better as Eugene Fitzherbert.

But forget about that for now. Right now, we need to go over to another kingdom. A kingdom wreathed in forests and mountains. While Corona bore the sun on its crest, this kingdom bore the moon on theirs. The kingdom of Gemma, ruled by a stern king and a greedy queen. Upon hearing that Corona's lost heir was finally found, the queen saw an opportunity for her son, the Prince of Gemma, to become a ruler far more powerful than her husband. The king of Gemma had no objections to this, however, and was all for it. There was just this tiny little snag in their plan.

You see, when the princess was 16 the king and queen of Gemma had the idea to find a girl with green eyes and long blonde hair to pretend to be the princess. Then they would have their son marry her as she assumes the throne in Corona. Their plot was never discovered, however, but it turned out greedy bandits did try to pretend to be the lost princess many times over. I'm still wondering how easy it was for this "lost princess" to actually be the _real_ princess.

Anyhow, Corona was facing a crisis. They need an heir, and the princess may have been long gone. As part of the peace treaty between two kingdoms, the king of Corona and his queen, and the king of Gemma and his queen, met together to discuss land expansion and where their border shall meet. It was going fine, like most discussion on land and borders, until the slightest slip of the tongue by the queen of Gemma. It was common knowledge amongst the high-class society and other royalty that the queen of Corona had trouble during her pregnancy with the princess. The doctors have said that one more would probably kill her, and there was no magic flower to save her this time. Now, the queen of Gemma, was a fool for asking, but as the greedy woman she is she dared ask. She wanted to know if Corona would need the aid of Gemma in terms of who shall succeed the throne.

Now this idea wasn't very pleasant to hear, especially for the king and queen of Corona. They knew of their predicament, but clearly sixteen years of longing was still not enough time to heal. It was unknown if they would ever get over their pain in losing their daughter. Unfortunately, the king of Gemma makes a slight slip of the tongue and makes the _horrid _suggestion that the princess was dead. The stupid realist. Because of that the peace was strained and ever since Gemma and Corona have been in bad standing with each other.

But now, half a year after the princess has returned home, Corona is lively and full of rejoice, and her king and queen are willing to forgive the royalty of Gemma for their slight. They understood, Gemma's king and queen were just being realistic, and perhaps moving on would have been beneficial for the whole of the kingdom. But finally their prayers were answered, that the lanterns did call out to her and bring her home. And so a girl named Rapunzel wears the crown meant for her, reuniting with the family she was taken from long ago.

Ironically, that same crown had been stolen from the palace just days before the princess's eventual return. Which leads me to this interesting stage of development. Oh, Eugene, the things you get up to…

"Scheduled for the gallows _yesterday_, you escape with the aid of the Snuggly Duckling thugs—!" started the Captain.

"Is that what we're calling them now?" interrupted Eugene. "Might want to ask them, because—well I see it fits, but I don't think it'll do much for their reputation if they're known as the Snuggly Duckling—"

"_Silence!_" snarled the Captain. "You come back with a young woman claiming she is the lost princess. How do we know this isn't just a stunt you pulled to get out of paying for your crimes?" He glared at Eugene, who really didn't find the glare all that intimidating.

"Look, I was at the end of my rope—literally—and I was desperate. Rapunzel was in trouble and I had to go help her! I saw a way out and took it," he explained.

And indeed he did. He recalled his feelings of guilt and sadness forced aside at the sight of the Stabbington brothers slumped against the walls of their cells as Eugene was taken to death row. Glad to know he'd made one of them wet his self during that brief interrogation was enough to light a fire in Eugene's heart. Well, he doubted how he was going to make an escape and get to Rapunzel, and at that point he wasn't even sure she was in her tower by then. And then he saw Vladmir's ceramic unicorn. He never thought he'd see anything more wonderful. Besides Rapunzel, that is.

"You could have told us, Rider," said the Captain, pacing around him in circles. Ah, the circle of intimidation. Never saw that one before. Eugene sighed.

"I _did_. You know. When your guys pulled me off of the boat, which I was tied to by the way, in case you didn't notice. And when you were hauling me off to the gallows. You ought to remember that, you were _there_." His patience was wearing thin.

Earlier that day everything was fine. Eugene was relieved in more ways than one. Rapunzel was safe, Gothel was gone, and now her powers were limited to magic tears. And thank goodness for that. Eugene felt kind of stupid that he could have at least waited for her to heal his wound with her hair before cutting it—there was no guarantee that her tears would have worked in the first place. He still remembered that cold, weightless feeling of being dead. The way Rapunzel's sad green eyes vanished from his sight and how his skin wouldn't react to her touch. He couldn't feel anything.

Lesser point of the day was about an hour or two of sitting in that tower with Rapunzel trying to sort out the difference between memory and reality. Except the problems with memories are that it was, once upon a time ago, reality. Despite the magical healing of Rapunzel's tear he still felt the absence of warmth from his body, and there was a ghost of the pain he felt when he was stabbed. And dying.

Admittedly, sitting in that uncomfortable wooden chair while being doubted by the Captain was _loads_ better than dealing with the fact that, yes, Eugene, you died. You died in the arms of the girl you've steadily fallen for. That was a bigger shock than the fact that she brought him _back_. With a magic tear.

After moping in the tower, Eugene and Rapunzel spent the night talking about what happened after they were separated. He was desperate to clarify that he didn't leave her—oh no, he was going to give the crown to the Stabbingtons and go right back to her. But they found out about her magic hair and knocked him out before he could escape.

He learned from Rapunzel that Mother Gothel had tricked the brothers into thinking they were going to become rich off of using Rapunzel's hair. That, however, was after the curtains of lies had been torn down. Everything was almost the way it was, save for her broken heart over Eugene leaving her, that is until Rapunzel saw the crest of Corona hidden in her numerous artworks in the tower. And he saw them too, as soon as she pointed it out. In the flower painted over her bed, in the dress of the painting of Rapunzel dancing—it was everywhere. And it was then, to his shock, that she came out and told him who she was.

Rapunzel was the lost princess.

If there was _anything_ that would have distracted him the most from the fact that he died, it was that. Wanted thief Flynn Rider parading around the kingdom square with the lost princess. And the funny thing was, it wasn't too hard to believe.

Back in the interrogation room the Captain just asked him if Eugene thought they were all dumb enough to believe that Rapunzel really was the lost princess. There had been many girls sauntering into the court claiming to be the lost princess—oh Eugene knew that story. A couple of girls who almost got away with it were girls he'd dated in his teenage years. Last he heard of them was that they were in Gemma working off their debt to society.

"Look, guys, the king and queen really aren't objecting to the fact that Rapunzel is the lost princess. Why doubt it, then? She's a sweet girl, really, and you couldn't have asked for a better princess. Great singing voice, has this charm about her where she could get just about anyone to listen to her," started Eugene, being the most painfully honest he'd been his entire life. "Is there really any doubt?" He looked up at the Captain and his men. "Search within yourselves," he muttered, "you know it to be true."

They looked as mad as they were when they pulled Eugene out of the royal family embrace, accusing him of trying to swindle his way into the royal family so he could steal their treasures and blah, blah, blah.

In all honesty, Eugene really couldn't care anymore about the guards mistrusting him and his claims that he found the lost princess. Technically, she found herself, and he was just there making sure that she wasn't going to live a life of servitude to that Gothel woman. Right at that moment he just wanted to know if she was okay and settling in fine and that she wasn't too lonely and alienated without him.

Thankfully Maximus put a stop to it, somehow managing through grunts and snorts after bursting through the door to have the guards back off. Eugene resisted the urge to thank him again, remembering how awkward it was the last time. Smiling broadly at the Captain with a two-fingered salute, Eugene followed the stallion out of the interrogation room and into the bright glow of the afternoon sun. The sky was turning pink and orange. He and Rapunzel got there by midday. Did they really keep Eugene locked up for that long?

"Eugene!"

He never realized how tense his muscles were until he heard her voice. Up ahead and standing in between the king and queen was Rapunzel. Eugene half-expected the crown he stole to be on her head and a new dress with a pair of shoes given to her. He was wrong and there might have been a reason for that. He didn't want to think the king and queen as shallow, and they certainly didn't show it

His thoughts were interrupted when Rapunzel ran up to him and gave him a big hug. She leaned forward for a kiss but after seeing the looks on the king and queen's faces—which weren't appalled or aghast, but a kind of knowing look that just made him all the more nervous—Eugene put his hands on her shoulders and slightly pushed her away. She looked at him, confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Um… this isn't really comfortable for me," he said.

"What, am I hugging to tight?" she said with a smirk and with a tone that mocked him. Yet she relaxed her arms and caught him glancing over at the king and queen. He doesn't like that the queen and the king are just smiling at him so _knowingly_. He coughed, uncomfortable. This was… unexpected.

"Hello, Mr. Fitzherbert," greeted the queen. Eugene stood frozen and made a bit of a spasm in an attempt to bow, but the queen just hugged him. He felt all of the air leave his lungs. "Thank you for finding my daughter and returning her safely."

"Her safety is my number one priority," said Eugene after being able to find his voice again. It was only after seeing the looks on the king and queen's faces did he realize how… how _serious_ he sounded. That his voice had softened and that he'd looked at Rapunzel as he said it, stroking her face with utmost care. And with a pained feeling that yes, Eugene, you died and almost lost her.

He just realized how sick he felt.

"Perhaps a nice warm stew would be good for the you, young man," said the king. "After dinner perhaps you can tell us about yourself." As refreshing as it was to have the king and queen accept him, Eugene wasn't feeling any better with the idea of talking about himself. It wasn't just because the highlights of his life were his days as the dashing rogue Flynn Rider, but that he was Eugene again. And that meant telling them the beginning.

Rapunzel ran up to walk alongside her father, who merrily laughed at the stories she told him. Eugene was glad to see that Rapunzel was holding up just fine after what happened at the tower. She'd gotten over bringing him back from the dead pretty quickly. It was when they made their way out of the secret passage and around the front to meet up with Maximus that Eugene saw the pained look in her eyes as she passed by Gothel's cloak. For a moment he thought she'd pick it up and put it on, or hold it, and then burst into tears. But she just took a deep breath, held his hand, and walked away from the only home she'd ever known.

"She told us what happened at the tower," said the queen. She had that motherly look about her. So concerned and ready to be there for him to make the hurting go away.

"I'm fine," said Eugene. He tried to sound like his usual self—arrogant, with an air of… well, arrogance. He didn't feel like his old self.

"It doesn't take a doctor to realize that it isn't just Rapunzel whose whole world changed." The queen took his arm as if he were escorting her back to the palace. He didn't know if she was putting up a front to show the uneasy guards that Eugene was trusted, or that she was trying to keep him balanced. He didn't really give himself a good look after coming back from… well, you know. Was he that frail looking that the slightest gust of wind could push him over?

"We're grateful, Eugene," added the queen. "Very grateful." She looked at him, her eyes big and smiling and welling with tears.

"Can I spend at least one more day with her?" he said sheepishly.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a wanted thief. Flynn Rider—posters of my face, though they never get my nose right, plastered all over the kingdom. I saved your daughter and brought her home," he looked up at Rapunzel and saw her playing with Pascal and Maximus, the king chortling in delight at her innocence. He looked back at the queen, "but that doesn't change the fact that I…" He couldn't bring himself to say it, and he couldn't understand what that 'it' was. Yes, he's a wanted criminal; _yes_ he's stolen more than just jewels, money, and other material items. He was a liar and a swindler, and he was selfish. He was probably no better than Gothel.

"Eugene," said the queen firmly. "That man on the poster is not you." He opened his mouth to protest, but she raised a hand. "Your name is Eugene Fitzherbert, not Flynn Rider. That man isn't real. But the man who vouched for the safe return of my daughter by risking his life is standing before me instead. And you will stay, right by her side, because it's the least you deserve."

Was that pity? Or… what? He found it a bit hard to swallow that the king and queen believed Rapunzel's story about her magical hair and tears. But they believed in the power of the magic flower, perhaps their daughter obtaining its abilities wouldn't be too far off for them. He breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing how nervous he felt. Perhaps that front of ignorance he pulled off with the guards was just a reflex. Maybe he deluded himself into thinking that he wouldn't mind dying if he just had one more day with Rapunzel.

"Eugene, are you alright?" asked Rapunzel. Her voice was distant. She strode over to him and grabbed his hand.

"I'm fine," he said. Her face was riddled with concern.

"I think after that stew maybe you should go straight to bed," said Rapunzel firmly. Eugene did a double take.

"What, you mean here? At the _palace_?"

"Yes! You _are_ going to live there with us, right?" She looked at her father, who nodded with a smile. _Without hesitation_. Eugene couldn't believe it.

His breathing quickened and he was about to spurt out a million different reasons why he couldn't—no, shouldn't—stay at the palace. But then he caught sight of the queen give him that same look she gave him when she told him that his place was to be by Rapunzel's side.

And he had to admit, that kind of life wouldn't be too bad at all. If he got to see her happy, then Eugene was willing to do whatever it took for her to be happy…

Like dying. He groaned in his mind. It seemed it was going to take him more than just a couple hours to get over that. Because even now, Rapunzel's touch still felt a little distant and not as warm as it should be.

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><p>Everyone's nitpicking about certain points of the movie-like Rapunzel's upbringing or why no other heir had been chosen, yadda yadda yadda. I like the fact that Eugene <em>died<em> and then came back to life. That has to be all kinds of traumatizing. I'll try to be quick with this one. No promises.


	2. Lot's On his Mind

I've noticed a pattern with fan fiction. After the second chapter I usually die right after and take forever to update. Trying to change that.

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><p>Six agonizing months of 'yes, Eugene, you died. Can you please finally get over it?' later and he found he was actually settling in quite nicely. There was a lot of hounding by the palace guards, and a general assumption that, if he were with Rapunzel more than half the time he wouldn't think of stealing anything. Well, barring the whole trauma of <em>dying<em> and taking a ridiculous amount of time getting over it (in fact, would it be considered ridiculous? It felt ridiculous to him), Eugene had other things in mind that had nothing to do with stealing.

He knew how the whole shindig went: lost princess returns home, starts new life of royalty, and then is faced with all the lessons prepping her up to rule the country. He was a bit weary at first, remembering her panicked state when she took her first steps out of that tower, but fortunately she was so happy the first day she started her royal lessons.

That's when Eugene met the royal advisor. Snooty, a perfectionist, and a pain in the royal ass. On a single day, Eugene could count fifteen different things the advisor would call him out on if it so much as resembled distracting Rapunzel during her studies. This died down after a while, but Eugene would always catch the advisor giving him a warning look.

Eugene was allowed to keep her company during her lessons. He would watch as she balanced a book on her head to practice her poise, stay with her as she poured over countless books for history and geography. He would bring Rapunzel her food when it was time. The instructors either greeted him happily, as thanks for finding their lost princess, or disapproval. That he found understandable, but at least in the six months he was there they came to accept him. Some even used him as a partner for Rapunzel, like in her dance lessons or her etiquette lessons. Seeing him dance to ball music was a bit of a joke at first, but more as a funny idea over tormenting him or suggestively telling him 'this isn't your world. You don't belong here'. But it was Rapunzel's own dedication to teach him some of the things she learned that everyone finally saw how happy she was to be with him.

At the end of the second week Rapunzel broke down like he initially expected, except it was because she was overcome with joy.

"Everyone's so nice to me, Eugene, and you're really sweet for putting up with all of this," she said to him shyly. They were in the garden, her shoes discarded on the grass. Pascal had taken to sleeping inside them when Rapunzel wasn't using them. She leaned against his shoulder as he wiped the tears off of her face. He'd find himself absent-mindedly stroking her cheek, as she would look at him. He was beginning to feel more of her now, he noted.

"It's a princess's duty," he said, proudly. She gave him a peck on the cheek. He was nervous whenever she wanted to display her affection in public, but she caught on fast on how uneasy that would make him feel and so she resolved to doing that in moments like that. The royal advisor, who seemed to have a nose for finding out where they were hiding, would always trounce their moments of privacy, often stating that Rapunzel was late for her next lesson.

Now that it was winter they were in the drawing room, and Rapunzel spent her breaks doing the things she wanted to do but never found time to do outside of her studies. She was given plentiful art supplies after the king found out about her love of painting. She was finishing up her portrait of Eugene, and he was eager to see the finished product.

"Okay! I'm done!" she said. He jumped at her voice suddenly breaking the silence in the room. He caught Pascal smiling at him as the little chameleon's tail pointed at the portrait. Eugene went to Rapunzel's side and gave it a good look.

He was stunned. Her ability to capture real life in an image without asking him so much as to stand still was incredible. She'd painted him climbing the tower using her long-gone magical hair. She drew him greeting her as he reached the window of her tower, and she was beaming at the sight of him.

"This is beautiful," he said in a hushed voice. "It's amazing, Rapunzel."

"Sorry it took so long," she said, shyly, running a hand through her short hair. "There were so many paints to choose from I didn't know what to start with."

"Oh, it's fine—it's amazing how fast you can get a painting done, though," he said. He remembered the festival on her birthday six month ago, how she worked with the chalk on the cobblestone of the main square. The mural had washed away, but it was one of the first things she'd reproduced by painting it on the ceiling of her bedroom as soon as she got the new paints from the king. That was done in less then a day.

The door opened and in walked the royal advisor. He gave her a curt bow and a nod of acknowledgement to Eugene.

"Your next lesson is about to commence, your highness," he said.

"Oh, right!" Rapunzel jumped up, laughing. "Wow, time flies by. Come on, Pascal. See you at dinner, Eugene." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which sent chills down his spine and made him jump a little. He searched the royal advisor's face for a sign of disapproval, but found that the royal advisor just smiled at the princess as she exited the room. His expressions slipped back to a serious one, if not a bit bored, in Eugene's opinion.

"Well, I guess I better clear this stuff up," said Eugene, a bit uncomfortable with being in the same room as the advisor with nothing to do between them.

"Don't bother. The maid-servants will deal with the clean up," said the advisor in a dull, bored voice. "The queen is expecting you." Eugene remained still.

"Are you sure she's looking for me?" he asked sheepishly. The advisor rolled his eyes.

"Are there any other Eugene Fitzherberts in this palace or on this island?"

"… No…" Eugene felt stupid.

"Then follow me, Master Fitzherbert." They were barely out of the room before Eugene finally registered what the royal advisor just called him.

"Whoa, wait, _'master'_? Are you sure about that?" He watched the old advisor shrug.

"Might as well get used to it. You'll be sticking around for a _long_ time."

The royal advisor sounded very suggestive when he said that and it sent a pang of worry throughout Eugene's mind. Not that he would want to leave—he wouldn't. What that would do to Rapunzel if he said he was going to leave here… Eugene didn't want to think about it. But there was something in the back of his mind that just kept nagging at him. That no matter how many times he tried to ignore it he knew it was still there.

He looked up when the royal advisor coughed. They stood before large oak doors with intricately designed carvings across the woodwork. The doorknobs were shaped like the sun, and made of gold. The royal advisor knocked.

"Please remember to bow to the queen and address her formally. You can at least manage _that_, can't you?" The royal advisor raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, at which Eugene responded with an over-confident scoff.

"Oh sure," he said with a wry smile. Try as he might, Eugene couldn't believe himself as much as he could convince the royal advisor.

The royal advisor knocked on the door gently, pronouncing loudly that Master Eugene Fitzherbert is here, as Her Majesty has requested. He heard her soft voice say, "Enter", after which the royal advisor opened the door and nudged his head towards the inside. Eugene nearly forgot to move.

"Your Majesty," he said, giving a stiff bow. Eugene saw that she was facing away from the door, her back to him, as she stood by the lit fireplace of her study. He saw a sheet of parchment in her hands. A letter, perhaps, and she read it intensely. She only moved after the royal advisor closed the door.

"You can refrain from formal greetings when it's just any other day in the palace, Eugene," she said, turning to him and smiling. "At least for me, I find it very out of character."

"Oh," stuttered Eugene. The queen moved from the fireplace, with the letter still in her hand and folded neatly. She held it close to her bosom and it would be a lie to say that Eugene wasn't the least bit interested in it. The queen sat in her chair, holding out a hand for Eugene to sit in one of the chairs before her desk.

"Everything is going fine for you, Eugene?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh—yeah, totally."

"Adjusting nicely to the palace life?"

"Uh huh."

"I hope it isn't too dull compared to how you've lived your life as a rogue…"

Eugene was beginning to suggest this was as awkward for the queen as it was awkward for him. She was distracted, constantly eyeing the letter, which she now placed on her desk. Occasionally she would tap it with a finger and sigh deeply. He cleared his throat, trying to make himself sound as polite as possible.

"Was there something you needed me for in particular?"

"Right, yes, down to business," said the queen, hastily. She put the letter inside one of her books as an attempt to remove a distraction, but clearly she couldn't make up her mind. She sighed again and pulled the letter back out and just placed it in front of her. Eugene studied her expressions. She pursed her lips in the same way Rapunzel did, even crossing her arms in the same way when Rapunzel would think about where to move an object or what to paint, sketch, or design. Or which book to read. They were definitely mother and daughter.

At last the queen just sighed and placed the letter right before Eugene, which he was confused about. What would he do with a letter that was meant for the queen?

"What, do you want me to burn it?" he said, eyes darting to the fireplace. He was joking, but the queen looked like she believed he was being serious, until her face relaxed and it clicked for her.

"As nice as that would be," she said, "it's an official letter from the kingdom of Gemma…" As soon as she said Gemma she looked up at him, just in time to see his face falter. He looked down at the letter, feeling at the base of the folded parchment the wax seal of Gemma. The kingdom of Gemma…

Eugene grew up in Corona, but he would always pay attention to Gemma. He was never happy hearing about the royal family in Gemma, and whenever he heard the name of 'Queen Mildred' he wouldn't be happy for the rest of the day. She was a foul, greedy woman, who was conniving and manipulative…

"Eugene?"

He looked up to see the queen looking at him with worry. She gave him a comforting smile. He gave her a smile too, with her presence and the room reminding him that this was not one of those days. That those days were long gone now.

"Sorry," he said, still smiling. "Continue."

"As you know, our relationship with Gemma has been very strained ever since Rapunzel's sixteenth year missing. Since we share a border with them, the king and I realize we have to make amends before it gets too strained. We sent a letter of apology to them a day after you brought Rapunzel home. The response was, to say the least, typical of Queen Mildred."

"Let me guess," said Eugene loudly, realizing almost immediately that Flynn Rider's careless and obnoxious demeanor had come back as soon as Mildred's name was mentioned. Hastily he added, "if I may," and waited for the queen's nod of approval before he would go on. He didn't make an effort to make himself sound any less irritated and sarcastic. And despite the sarcasm, he was being serious. "Queen Mildred decides that, hey, look Rapunzel's home so why not have her and the prince hang out sometime if you want to repair kingdom relations. And knowing her she'll push to have the prince propose to Rapunzel, which he wouldn't mind doing, and you're having more than just a 'little concern' over that woman's intentions."

He was surprised when the queen laughed, and it was the kind of laugh that people did when they couldn't agree more with what he said. All he knew was he was really stepping out of line with the harsh character analysis and completely lack of disregard for respect, even though he was talking with the queen of Corona and not Queen Mildred of Gemma. Then a thought came to him.

"Did you do research on me when I came with Rapunzel?" he asked, a little weary. The queen gave a sad, truthful smile.

"It's one of the reasons your execution was called off," she said. "The execution papers were documented for a man named 'Flynn Rider', but there were no official documents saying you were legally Flynn Rider. And, fortunately, there was no real Flynn Rider so the officials couldn't pin impersonation on you." Eugene was about to open his mouth, that there _was_ an incident where he had to impersonate an English tutor, but then he realized the queen meant they couldn't pin _Eugene_ with the crime of impersonating anyone by the name of Flynn Rider since Flynn Rider didn't exist in the first place.

"They tried to make it so that you used it as an alias, but there was no doubt you reassumed life as Eugene Fitzherbert," she raised an eyebrow at him, as if tempting him to say otherwise. Eugene shrugged smugly, observing his nails.

"What does Eugene Fitzherbert have that Flynn Rider doesn't? As far as Flynn knew, I was the scary dark secret he kept jammed at the back of his closet." He smiled when the queen laughed again.

"That's why I'm confident that I can trust you with this," said the queen. "You can read the letter if you wish, before you go. Just keep in mind you'll only have six months to prepare, so do the best you can in that time." Eugene's smile faltered.

"Six months for what?"

"You're escorting Rapunzel. We can't decline, otherwise we'd really be straining the relationship and that might mean Gemma would take more extreme precautions in expanding their border."

"You don't mean—?"

"Yes, I do mean so. It's ideal that Rapunzel didn't have to deal with any sort of warfare, if we can avoid it."

"I see what you mean." Eugene didn't want Rapunzel's innocent worldview shattered because of warring states. The fact that people fought over something like the border would confuse and upset her.

A thought occurred to Eugene, the words of the royal advisor echoing in his mind. He was going to be hanging around for a very long time. Did that mean…

"Are you all expecting me to marry Rapunzel?" The question came out so fast he couldn't help but blush as he covered his mouth, as if trying to recapture the words and make it so that they were never spoken. The queen laughed again, and it was the kind of girlish giggle that made him nervous.

"More or less, and it's partially the other reason why the king and I want you to escort her."

"So, barring my expertise in avoiding the worst kind of people you meet on a long journey, you also want me to go to… assert dominance over her?" As crazy as that idea sounded, he wouldn't mind if it meant dangling a prize before Mildred and her son. Not that Rapunzel was a prize to be owned by anyone, but he'd rather she didn't get cosy with the prince of Gemma, and Mildred was not an ideal mother in law.

"In a sense, yes." The queen stood up and went around the table to stand next to Eugene. He also stood, wondering if their meeting was ending. To his surprise the queen gave him a hug, patting his shoulders lightly. She was trying to comfort him. He was amazed. The queen must be very good at reading people, because he hadn't even realized how tense he was. "Remember what I said to you when we first met. Your world has changed as much and as fast as Rapunzel's did. Take it slow, but take it in stride. Have confidence. As for Rapunzel, just make sure she's ready for the rest of the world. So far, you're her world, and I would really hate to see what happens if you get a more… permanent end." Eugene gulped. That wasn't a threat. It was a warning. A warning to be safe on the journey and to beware Mildred. Mildred was a bigger threat than any bandit Eugene ever came across. If she found out that the queen intended to forestall any possible engagement between Rapunzel and the prince it could mean war.

"I won't disappoint you," Eugene said confidently. The queen sighed, relieved, and proceeded to tell him about his itinerary for the next six months. The main focus was Eugene taking up swordplay lessons so that he knew how to defend himself and Rapunzel from attackers on their journey. Etiquette was also involved; it _was_ a delegation with another kingdom, so Eugene had to be on his best behaviour (and the queen understood it was going to be very, _very_ hard considering the circumstances). She also made sure to remind him that, if he could help it, to _not_ try and knick anything while he was there. But she spoke in a way where she was sure he wouldn't be able to make any promises. She mumbled something about small, miss-able trinkets being acceptable, but avoiding stealing would be okay. He was amused. The queen of Corona was vindictive. Well, Mildred deserved it, after all. She did try to suggest that Rapunzel was long dead.

At dinner the king was overjoyed that Eugene agreed to escort Rapunzel. He considered knighting Eugene, which he moderately refused, and they had a quick discussion about Gemma. Even the king was vindictive over the Gemma royalty suggesting Rapunzel was dead. Every now and then he would comment on a Gemma stereotype or two and laugh heartily before realizing he was speaking to Eugene in which he looked slightly apologetic. Eugene didn't take any offence.

"I see myself as a true Coronian, Your Majesty," said Eugene, and he loved the tingle of pride he felt when he said that. Rapunzel had just walked in, one of her classes running late. It was most likely Philosophy or Astronomy, both of which were taught by the same elderly and ditzy professor Rapunzel grew attached to. And the professor fawned over her like she was his own granddaughter. Eugene and the old professor got along well too. He learned about Eugene's death from Rapunzel, as she completely trusted him and thought him to be a very wise old man (well, he was a philosophy professor). He somehow saw a metaphor behind it, saying that it was most likely that Flynn Rider died that day and Eugene Fitzherbert was the one that was brought back. Eugene found it an interesting perspective, but he still felt a little at war with him self, to say the least.

Once Rapunzel was seated they explained to her the plans for the trip, and she needed reminding that they couldn't arrange it sooner since it was winter (which, Eugene, was just the cover story). They did tell her that Eugene was going to need the time to prepare since he will be escorting her to Gemma. Rapunzel understood Eugene's crash course in etiquette, but she didn't comprehend his need to learn swordplay.

"He's good with a frying pan," she said. The king and queen smiled at her.

"Rapunzel, remember how I was winning with a frying pan and just as quickly started _losing?_ And then the reservoir broke and we nearly drowned, until you used your magic hair to light the dark water-filled cave to save the day," pointed out Eugene. "And there are bandits and thugs out there that aren't as snugly and soft as the ones from the Snugly Duckling pub," he added. He took a pause, finding he had trouble swallowing. "Best to avoid the nasty ones, though." He took a drink from his goblet and noticed, as he put it down, that everyone had shared glances and were all looking at him. Even Pascal, who patted him gently and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I think I see what you mean, Mother," said Rapunzel. She was also looking sympathetic. Eugene felt a lump in his stomach and his face growing hot.

"Eugene," Rapunzel started slowly, reaching a hand out to him. He jumped at her touch, ignoring the best he can that it was still not as warm as it should be, regardless of how much colder the palace had been since winter started. "I know it can be a bit scary, but we're trying to help you overcome it."

"Overcome what? Are you…" It clicked. "Oh! The thing with the sharp knives, swords, and daggers and the fact that I died after getting stabbed? Oh that—that's _nothing_! Really, guys, I'm fine. I mean, let's talk about something else—like this chicken, very tasty. Kudos to the chef, he's as brilliant as ever… why do you all keep staring at me?" By the end of his rambling his voice became very small and quiet. He groaned. "I'm _fine_." They left that topic alone for the rest of dinner.

He knew they had nothing but good intentions for him, but it was a problem he couldn't keep ignoring forever. Knives, needles, and scissors were fine, but he had no idea how he would react to holding a sword. Eugene knew he would feel a pang of empathy for whoever it is that he skewered. Before turning in for the night he paced his room, wondering how he was going to face whoever it was the queen and king chose to teach him how to fight effectively with a sword. He remembered Rapunzel defending him over dinner. She was right in some ways. Eugene could handle himself. But could he manage to take care of both him and Rapunzel?

He flopped onto his bed, messing up his hair in frustration. He was over-thinking things, surely. There was no need for all this freaking out!

_"Don't freak out, okay?"_ echoed Rapunzel's voice, and suddenly they were back in the forest after managing to escape from the flooded cave.

"Right, let's not freak out…" Eugene took a deep breath. He heard something fall to the floor, looking up to realize it was Queen Mildred's letter, which he kept on the inside of his vest and forgetting about it until now. He picked it up, unfolding it and smoothing it out. He contemplated on reading it, wondering if it would manage to take his mind off of any inherent phobia he had, or if the letter would just make him angry. He decided to read it anyway. Eugene lit a candle, placing it on the night stand next to his bed.

Eugene immediately regretted his choice, because despite the amount of loathing whenever Mildred would faun over her son, it was near the end that all kinds of hate and anger were blown out of Eugene, leaving him feeling nothing but worry. And the worst kind of worry, too. The kind of worry that would mean many sleepless nights and hair pulling. He read the line again, just to be sure that it was real.

It was.

He refolded the letter and made sure to return it to the queen in the morning, not that it would make it seem like he never saw it in the first place. The queen! Why didn't she say anything? She couldn't think… but who else? After all, she didn't know everything about him. Birth certificates and records of his time at the orphanage weren't enough. She didn't know _who_ it was Mildred was referring to.

'_I do hope that you'll send Princess Rapunzel over to see us soon! I really wish Bastion would be taken to her, as I fear his attention has turned to bandit-snatching. A particular bandit, you might say. I do wonder how you and your husband manage crime in Corona. Here in Gemma we've found ourselves with an infestation of sorts. A notorious thief, a quick spinner of lies—master of deceit! I'm sure you've heard of him, a devilish man who goes by the name of Flynn Rider!'_

He had no other choice. Phobia be damned—he had to go! He blew out the candle and buried himself under the blankets, trying to get himself to sleep. It took a while, but a mantra formed in his mind, and thinking it kept him calm enough that he started to feel drowsy. He was going to bust this 'Flynn Rider' and he was going to make sure this 'Flynn' wouldn't try anything like this again. Because everything is as it should be, he was where he was meant to be. But this 'Flynn' was going to ruin it if left doing what 'Flynn' does best. Running around in Gemma… doing whatever…

Eugene had to face the facts. He had no choice now. Gemma… he's coming home.

* * *

><p>Had to rewrite this a lot. Dunno about you, but I need to know what I'm writing before getting down to it. This chapter drove me nuts!<p> 


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